It’s not most FBI agents who are the problem, it’s the corruption at the top.House Intel Committee votes to release the infamous FISA memo.Criminal justice reform may be in the offing at tonight’s SOTU.The “Arab Spring” brought forth a lot of trouble. Syria and Turkey are examples.The Trump administration has released a welcome National Security Strategy.Social Justice Warriors claim another scalp — the Cleveland Indians’ mascot.Conan goes to Haiti to hypocritically slam Trump.Plus our Daily Features: Top Headlines, Memes, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.

THE FOUNDATION

“The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue.” —John Adams (1776)

IN BRIEF

McCabe Ousted: Uprooting Obama’s Deep State?1

By Thomas Gallatin

Monday afternoon the news broke that Barack Obama-era FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe had either “stepped down” or was “removed.” However it happened, the fact is McCabe is now no longer working at the FBI. The sudden announcement of McCabe’s departure comes suspiciously on the heels of FBI Director Christopher Wray’s review of the confidential FISA memo — the same memo the House Intel Committee just voted to make public2. Recall that it was reported that Wray had earlier resisted pressure from President Donald Trump to remove McCabe, so why now the quick change of mind? Could the memo shed some light on the reason? Or has Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who is currently reviewing the FBI’s investigation of Hillary Clinton, come across some damning material?

While more information on the level of deep state corruption is bound to surface, Democrats have sought to spin the narrative that President Donald Trump and Republicans are the ones guilty of undermining and damaging the FBI’s reputation. It’s the same tactic used by the mainstream media, which has regularly blamed Trump for supposedly undermining American’s trust in the MSM when the reality is they have done it to themselves. Similarly, while Trump has been somewhat careless with his rhetoric on the DOJ and FBI, the fact remains that evidence coming out appears to show a corruption problem with certain members within the agency. Members like former Director James Comey, who has admitted to leaking negative information on Trump to the press in order to get the special counsel created, and who decided to exonerate Hillary Clinton months before the investigation into her illegal email server and handling of classified information was concluded. That corruption extended to anti-Trump agents — the texting bias expressed by lead investigator Peter Strzok and lawyer Lisa Page appears to validate GOP suspicions of a deep state cabal within the FBI leadership.

As for McCabe, his wife ran as a Democrat for a state Senate seat in Virginia and took nearly $700,000 in contributions from donors like Terry McAuliffe linked to the Clinton machine. That was at the same time McCabe supervised the Clinton “probe.” He finally recused himself — one week prior to the election3.

Did we mention that McCabe is still set to receive his $1.8 million pension package4?

To be clear, the corruption charges against a few key DOJ and FBI operatives is not a “condemnation of the FBI,” but rather a condemnation of a handful of Obama deep state actors within the FBI. Democrats are diverting from that fact by accusing Trump and Republicans of “condemning the FBI.” The fact is the vast majority of the 35,000 people employed by the FBI steadfastly abide by their motto: Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity. It’s a good bet that the majority of FBI agents, whose reputations are being sullied by these corrupt officials, are just as frustrated if not more so by these bad apples.

House Intel Votes to Release the Memo2

By Nate Jackson

The House Intelligence Committee voted along party lines Monday evening to release the now-infamous memo reportedly detailing abuses surrounding surveillance of at least one associate of then-candidate Donald Trump. The president and Justice Department have five days to review the memo before deciding to make it public or not.

We expect the memo will detail how the FBI used the Hillary Clinton-funded phony dossier5 on Trump to gain a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (Act) (FISA) Court to surveil Carter Page, a former Trump aide who traveled to Russia in July 2016. Put another way, it’s very likely that corrupt deep state officials within the FBI used the opposition research of one political campaign, which just happened to be favored by the political campaign administration in power, to justify wielding the power of the state against an opposing political campaign. As we’ve noted before, that’s the stuff of banana republics, not constitutional ones.

“If you … want to know whether or not the dossier was used in court proceedings, whether or not it was vetted before it was used,” Rep. Trey Gowdy said, “if you are interested in who paid for the dossier … then, yes, you’ll want the memo to come out.”

Democrat reactions only reinforce our suspicions. “Today this committee voted to put the president’s personal interests, perhaps their own political interests, above the national interests,” complained the House committee’s ranking Democrat, Adam Schiff. No, that’s a Democrat specialty. Schiff also griped that the committee rejected releasing his counter memo. Except the committee did release that memo to the entire House, likely for public release soon thereafter.

Schiff also alleges that Democrats were made aware for the first time Monday of a House Intelligence Committee investigation into both the Justice Department and the FBI. Except that Intel subpoenaed both the DOJ and FBI in August for documents related to the dossier, which might have been a clue of an investigation. The DOJ and FBI also stonewalled on the subpoenas, likely, to borrow Schiff’s words, for “their own political interests.”

In short, the memo is probably not earth-shattering, but it will be an important marker in the interminably long saga of the Democrats’ phony Russia collusion narrative, as well as the corruption undermining the integrity of the FBI.

Top Headlines6

Ginsburg will not attend Trump’s first State of the Union (The Hill7)

Immigrants will be a big part of Trump’s State of the Union address — and live audience (The Washington Times8.)

They have a dream: Two DACA recipients arrested on suspicion of human smuggling (The San Diego Union-Tribune9)

More tax reform benefits: Exxon Mobil announces $35 billion in new U.S. investments over five years (CNBC10)

Policy: Nationalizing 5G would mark the end of wireless innovation (Investor’s Business Daily16)

Policy: The Trump growth machine (Hoover Institution17)

For more of today’s news, visit Patriot Headline Report18.

FEATURED ANALYSISSOTU Preview: Criminal Justice and Prison Reform19

By Paul Albaugh

Tonight, President Donald Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address, which will include the accomplishments20 from his first year in office as well as cover several needed areas of reform, such as immigration and health care, and improvements, like infrastructure21. It’s also anticipated that President Trump will spend some time discussing the need for criminal justice and prison reform.

Such reform is something we have written about for the past several years, but little has been done at the federal level to address the issue. While reforming criminal justice and our prison system may not be considered top priorities for many Americans, there seems to at least be some agreement in Washington from both parties on the need to take action.

Both parties recognize that there is a problem with our current justice system and both recognize that our prisons are overcrowded, many with people who have not committed violent crimes. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two parties voting on prison reform22 is the goal. Republicans would like to see reform occur so that people guilty of non-violent crimes can be given a second chance and become productive citizens. Democrats see it as an opportunity to secure more votes — that is, they would like to restore full voting rights to those who have forfeited them by being convicted of a felony.

“Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29)

When the Sadducees, who were the theological, philosophical, and scientific elite of the day, came to Jesus with a trick question in an attempt to discredit Him, He responded with the stinging rebuke in today’s verse. While His response dealt specifically with the fact of resurrection and the nature of the afterlife, His twofold evaluation of self-reliant scholars still fits today, particularly in regard to evolutionary speculations.

By the time Darwin had published his book Origin of Species attributing evolutionary progression to natural selection, he had probably become an atheist and so set about to ascribe creation to natural causes. He attributed to nature abilities that clearly belong to God alone. He knew something of the Scriptures, but his memoirs show that he had little understanding of basic biblical teaching. He felt that if there was a God, He had little power or had not been involved in the affairs of this earth. Most atheistic evolutionists today follow Darwin’s intellectual footsteps.

But what of Christian intellectuals, theistic evolutionists, progressive creationists, or advocates of the framework hypothesis, who claim to know God but yet deny His awesome power in creation? They too reject the clear teaching of Scripture regarding creation, relegating God to the mundane task of overseeing the evolutionary process, reducing His power to something man can accomplish. Peter aptly describes this attitude when he calls it willful ignorance (2 Peter 3:5).

It has been suggested by some that all human error can be traced to one or both of these categories: not knowing (and/or believing) the Scriptures, and underestimating the power of God. JDM

Nonetheless, Greer and other critics of the #MeToo movement, including Catherine Deneuve and 100 prominent French women, are getting hammered26 for suggesting #MeToo is rapidly devolving into a witch hunt. And as it must be for a generation marinated in progressive ideology, “intersectionality” drives that criticism. Thus New Yorker columnist Lauren Collins bemoans27 the fact that Deneuve, et al, are “mostly, though not exclusively, white members of the professional and artistic classes,” whose petition wasn’t signed by “housekeepers or bus drivers.”

For those insufficiently attuned to modern-day feminism, a 2014 column by Ava Vidal reveals what such “intersectionality” is all about. “There is no one-size-fits-all type of feminism,” she writes28. “For example, I am a black woman and as a result I face both racism and sexism as I navigate around everyday life.”

In other words, today’s feminism is less about expanding the boundaries of independence or strength, and more about expanding the boundaries of victimhood.

Why the seeming paradigm shift? “Previous generations understood that our decisions, our whims and consents, had to be ordered by a larger purpose. But the millennial ‘nones’ are the least likely to understand that,” columnist Daniel Greenfield explains29.

The term “nones” is a reference30 to those who do not identify themselves as having any religious affiliation. Tellingly, 36% of Millennials identify as such, a total double that of similar-minded Baby Boomers.

Why is a lack of religion important? “The history of human civilization is built on societies ordering the various states of human emotions to a higher purpose. That is one of the fundamental gifts of religion,” Greenfield explains. “Philosophers across thousands of years sought answers and offered solutions. And then in the last few generations, we tossed them all on the rubbish heap and exchanged them for Marxist pottage.”

That Marxist pottage swaps a higher purpose for “states governed by the emotions of the moment,” and a moral code “based on an academic analysis of power relationships between races, genders and sexual orientations.” As a result, leftists have created an environment “in which consent could be obtained with sufficient pressure,” but also one where “what can be obtained with sufficient pressure can also be withdrawn with sufficient pressure.”

Thus, as Greenfield and Greer have noticed, “retroactively withdrawn consent” drives far too many members of the #MeToo movement — and infuriates them when they’re called on it.

That fury can’t obscure the reality that the women who allowed Harvey Weinstein to exploit them made the choice that an acting career was worth compromising their integrity. That doesn’t mean Weinstein, and the rest of overwhelmingly leftist predators with power to procure sexual favors, aren’t utter low-lifes. It just means a lot of women need to be honest about what their priorities were.

And are. It’s worth remembering that after many of them became stars — and thus economically comfortable — the only real downside to outing these predators would have been having a harder time getting additional roles — often from the same predators.

That doesn’t mean outing them retroactively isn’t a good thing. Going forward, women will undoubtedly benefit from what appears to be a permanent alteration of a contemptible dynamic that has played itself out for far too long.

But telling America what paragons of integrity they are now? It is revealing that both Rose McGowan and Asia Argento, the two women who accused Harvey Weinstein of rape, and are arguably the primary catalysts of the #MeToo movement, both insist31 they weren’t invited to the 2018 Golden Globes, the awards-show-turned-paean32 to sexual harassment, in all its black gowns-only glory.

Thus, despite all of the ostensible high-mindedness championed by the current generation of feminists, perhaps “states governed by the emotions of the moment” — with an ample dose of hypocrisy added to the mix — is the best we can expect.

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

Make American Infrastructure Great Again35 — Donald Trump plans to announce some major infrastructure plans in his State of the Union.NY Times Peddles More School Shooting Deception36 — School shootings are no doubt heartbreaking. But the bigger story is the Times is complicit in its own immorality.NFL Seeks to Appease Military37 — To save face, commissioner Goodell announces that Medal of Honor recipients will make the Super Bowl coin toss.

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

David Harsanyi: The Russia ‘Fake News’ Scare Is All About Chilling Speech38Ken Blackwell: Scrapping the Bail System Is a Bad Idea39James Thrasher: What’s the Purpose of Higher Education?40Todd Starnes: Grade School Uses Sex Columnist to Promote Gender Identity41Peggy Noonan: The Lies of ‘The Crown’ and ‘The Post’42For more of today’s columns, visit Right Opinion43.

OPINION IN BRIEF

David Harsanyi: “Lots of people in the United States seem pretty impressed by how they do things in Europe. In Britain, Prime Minister Theresa May is launching a ‘rapid response unit’ run by the state to ‘battle the proliferation of "fake news” online.’ The ‘national security communications unit’ will be tasked with combating misinformation — as if it has either the power or ability to do so. In France, President Emmanuel Macron is working on a plan to combat ‘fake news,’ which includes the power to institute an emergency block on websites during elections. What could possibly go wrong? Me? I’d rather we live with Russian troll bots feeding us nonsense than authoritarian senators dictating how we consume news. I mean, has anyone yet produced a single voter who lost his free will during the 2016 election because he had a Twitter interaction with an employee of a St. Petersburg troll farm? Or do voters tend to seek out the stories that back their own worldviews? If your argument is that Americans are uninformed and easily misled, I’m with you. Just look at all the people who believe that a $46,000 buy on Facebook by the Russians was enough to destroy the pillars of our democracy. But if you want to live in a free and vibrant nation, you have to live with the externalities of that freedom.“

SHORT CUTS

The Gipper: "Some may try and tell us that this is the end of an era. But what they overlook is that in America, every day is a new beginning and every sunset is merely the latest milestone on a voyage that never ends.”

Upright: “There is a cooling and there is a heating. I mean, look, it used to not be climate change, it used to be global warming. That wasn’t working too well because it was getting too cold all over the place.” —Donald Trump

For the record: “It’s possible Mueller has damaging evidence of Russian collusion and subsequent obstruction that we’re not aware of. But, from the outside, this increasingly looks like an investigation about an investigation.” —Rich Lowry

Race bait: “[Donald Trump’s immigration] plan is a campaign to make America white again. They are changing the character of our country with what they are putting forth. They bring a tear to the eye of the Statue of Liberty and fear to the hearts of people who are here playing by the rules.” —Nancy Pelosi playing the race card and laughably claiming Republicans are targeting “those who are here playing by the rules.” (“You know what, we don’t need that type of rhetoric on either side, from Nancy, Paul Ryan or anybody else.” —Sen. Joe Manchin)

The BIG Lie: “People don’t understand — the one problem I think the current occupant of the White House — they don’t understand that sanctuary cities is [sic] what helps law enforcement. It helps public safety.” —Nancy Pelosi

Cultural rebuttal: “Don’t ruin great music with trash. Some of us love music without the politics thrown in it.” —Nikki Haley on Hillary Clinton’s tone deaf Grammys appearance44

And last: “This is just too serious. This is how you lose a country — when the Department of Justice becomes ‘just us.’” —Rep. Louie Gohmert on apparent FBI bias and corruption

Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families. We also humbly ask prayer for your Patriot team, that our mission would seed and encourage the spirit of Liberty in the hearts and minds of our countrymen.

Hillary Clinton’s tone deaf “feminism” is still unbelievably hypocritical.Trump’s message for Davos was that “America is open for business.”The morally pretentious #MeToo movement is just too much.Make American Infrastructure Great Again — part of tomorrow’s SOTU.Fake school shooting statistics just keep showing up.The NFL makes an attempt at appeasing the military.Plus our Daily Features: Top Headlines, Memes, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.

THE FOUNDATION

“Here comes the orator! With his flood of words, and his drop of reason.” —Benjamin Franklin (1735)

IN BRIEF

Hillary Clinton, the Faux Feminist1

By Thomas Gallatin

The New York Times reported Friday that, during the 2008 campaign, Hillary Clinton essentially gave a pass to one of her close advisers who was accused of sexual harassment. The Times alleges, “Mrs. Clinton’s campaign manager at the time recommended that she fire the adviser, Burns Strider. But Mrs. Clinton did not. Instead, Mr. Strider was docked several weeks of pay and ordered to undergo counseling, and the young woman was moved to a new job.”

While a member of Hillary’s 2008 campaign team, Strider was known as Clinton’s “faith guru” for his daily practice of sending her Bible passages. After the campaign, Strider went on to co-found a faith-based organization called the American Values Network. Five years later he joined David Brock’s pro-Clinton super PAC, Correct the Record, as a senior adviser, though he lasted a mere six months before he was fired for sexually harassing a young aide.

Hillary’s response to the Times story was unsurprisingly tone deaf and obtuse. She tweeted, “A story appeared today about something that happened in 2008. I was dismayed when it occurred, but was heartened the young woman came forward, was heard, and had her concerns taken seriously and addressed. I called her today to tell her how proud I am of her and to make sure she knows what all women should: we deserve to be heard.”

Once again Hillary’s hypocrisy is on full display. When did she ever “hear” and “take seriously” the rape accusations2 leveled against Bill Clinton by Juanita Broderick, or charges of various sexual misconduct by Paula Jones and Kathleen Wiley? And with this latest revelation, Hillary was in position to fire the offender, but she kept him in place and moved the victim. How’s that for defending women?

On a related note, a video also surfaced Friday of Hillary telling feminist supporters, “Thanks for your feminism, for your activism, and all I can hope is you keep up the really important, good work.” Then, when directed from off camera, she repeated with a chuckle, “And let me just say, this is directed to the activist b-tches supporting b-tches, so let’s go.” Nothing like a demeaning and deplorable comment to boost support.

While Hillary may run ads pronouncing her support for women, hearing them and standing up for them, the reality is that Hillary is about what she has always been about — promoting herself as she angles for power.

Trump in Davos: ‘America Is Open for Business’3

By Nate Jackson

As we noted last week4, President Donald Trump became the first president since Bill Clinton to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Ahead of his speech there, USA Today ran a “news” story headlined, “President Trump May Be Giving a Speech to an Empty Room in Davos.” Evidently, “sources” told the paper of a boycott call by some Africans, but it turned out to be fake news. Trump addressed a packed auditorium, and the line to get in was hours long. Indeed, even CNN got it right that Trump received “rock star attention” at Davos.

So without further ado, here are some of his remarks:

The world is witnessing the resurgence of a strong and prosperous America. I’m here to deliver a simple message: There has never been a better time to hire, to build, to invest, and to grow in the United States. America is open for business, and we are competitive once again.

The American economy is by far the largest in the world, and we’ve just enacted the most significant tax cuts and reform in American history. …

Now is the perfect time to bring your business, your jobs, and your investments to the United States. This is especially true because we have undertaken the most extensive regulatory reduction ever conceived. Regulation is stealth taxation. …

America is the place to do business. So come to America, where you can innovate, create, and build. I believe in America. As president of the United States, I will always put America first, just like the leaders of other countries should put their country first also.

But America first does not mean America alone. When the United States grows, so does the world. American prosperity has created countless jobs all around the globe, and the drive for excellence, creativity, and innovation in the U.S. has led to important discoveries that help people everywhere live more prosperous and far healthier lives.“

As we said Thursday, long gone are the Barack Obama days of apologizing for America and weakening our bargaining position. "America First” was apparently a welcome message on the world stage, too.

Top Headlines5

Pelosi: Immigration framework is a “campaign to Make America White Again” (Hot Air6)

15 times major media outlets used a statistic about plastic straws based on research by a nine-year-old (Reason14)

Humor: Facebook now requires blood sacrifice before anyone will see your page’s posts (The Babylon Bee15)

Policy: The key points Trump will talk about in first State of the Union (The Daily Signal16)

Policy: Is $1.7 trillion too much to rebuild America? Not at all (Investor’s Business Daily17)

For more of today’s news, visit Patriot Headline Report18.

FEATURED ANALYSISA Morally Pretentious #MeToo Movement19

By Arnold Ahlert

One of the leading voices of the feminist movement is being excoriated20 for taking on the insufferably self-righteous perpetrators of the #MeToo movement.

“I want, I’ve always wanted, to see women react immediately,” Germaine Greer stated during an interview21 in London, preceding a gala where she was named Australian of the Year in Britain. “In the old days, there were movies — the Carry On comedies, for example — which always had a man leering after women. And the women always outwitted him — he was a fool. We weren’t afraid of him and we weren’t afraid to slap him down.”

“What makes it different is when the man has economic power, as Harvey Weinstein has. But if you spread your legs because he said, ‘Be nice to me and I’ll give you a job in a movie,’ then I’m afraid that’s tantamount to consent, and it’s too late now to start whingeing about that,” she added.

“Whinge” is the British version of “whine,” and there was no shortage of whining in response to Greer’s assertion. Columnist Tracy E. Gilchrist insists22 Greer appears “stuck in another era,” and that she “victim-blamed in the middle of making the point.” Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, who believes older generations of feminists blazed a path for today’s social justice warriors, nonetheless characterizes23 Greer as “some older woman or other [who] is brought in to tell anyone who will listen how stupid the whole [#MeToo] endeavour is.”

Stupid? Selective is more like it, and in that regard Greer herself is rightly taken to task for giving Woody Allen a pass regarding allegations by stepdaughter Dylan Farrow that the director molested her when she was seven. “It was 20 years ago, so you want him to stop making movies now? It might be a good idea because he’s probably no good anymore,” Greer stated.

But why single out Greer? Many of the #MeToo warriors themselves also gave Allen a pass for years. And as it is with Harvey Weinstein, their newfound outrage24 demonstrates the same ex post facto hypocrisy of working for Allen first, and criticizing him afterward. Moreover, there’s no shortage of hypocrisy with regard to convicted child rapist25 Roman Polanski: Activist Natalie Portman, who champions her solidarity with sexual harassment victims, once signed a petition calling for Polanski’s pardon.

“Tell them not to worry about it, we’re going to solve the [DACA] problem,” the president assured. “Now, it’s up to the Democrats, but [Dreamers] should not be concerned.” He also hinted at extending the March 5 enforcement deadline for a deal if progress is made.

Details are still being fleshed out, but there’s clearly something for everyone — and something for everyone to hate. Some leftists are, predictably, calling the proposal “racist.” And the real trouble is Democrats don’t actually want an immigration deal, preferring to keep it as a contentious election issue.

On the Right, there are doubters too. “I do not believe we should be granting a path to citizenship to anybody here illegally,” said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Immigration policy guru Mark Krikorian calls Trump’s proposal30 “preemptive surrender.” Breitbart News labeled the president “Amnesty Don.” Indeed, those in Trump’s electoral base may be the most difficult Doubting Thomases to convince, and the legitimate question is whether this will dispirit those voters31 come election time.

Why? Well, the devil’s in the details. According to Richard Viguerie’s Conservative HQ, “While the White House proposal technically ends chain migration and the lottery, it uses ALL those visas to bring in the 4 million people on the visa waiting list. That means current immigration levels will continue for the next 10-15 years or more AND amnesty will be granted to a minimum of 1.8 million illegals. These are permanent changes to America’s electorate. If this passes the Trump proposal will make Republicans a permanent minority party and limited government constitutional conservatism a soon-to-be extinct philosophy of government.”

Other than that…

As National Review’s Rich Lowry added32, “It would be a travesty if after defeating the rest of the GOP field in part on the strength of immigration, [Trump] signed on to the worst amnesty deal since 1986.” Lowry was referring to the Durbin-Graham immigration bill that would allow the parents of these illegals the same deal as their progeny (bringing amnesty to possibly five million illegal aliens), but there are plenty of land mines even in a deal such as Trump is proposing. While he’s known for the art of the deal, Trump may not have as strong a bargaining position as his recent victory in the Schumer Shutdown33 would lead him to believe.

Consider, for example, that a lengthy border fence34 was already mandated by the Secure Fence Act — a bill passed by Congress and signed by President George W. Bush in 2006. Obviously this was never made into a budgetary priority, and when one considers the amount of time needed to design and build a border barrier — given the inevitable legal battles and roadblocks Democrats and their allies will throw at it in a stalling tactic until they can cancel it through their control of Congress, the White House or both — $25 billion may not get the job done.

On the other hand, that 10- to 12-year process for citizenship? In reality, Trump only has, at best, six years to complete his mission — assuming, of course, he maintains a favorable Congress and wins re-election. Depending on this November’s midterm elections, his timeframe could be less than a year. And no wall is built that quickly.

The truth is that any move toward giving citizenship to those who entered the country illegally or those who came legally with a visa and chose to overstay it is a slap in the face to the millions of immigrants who took the time and money to go about the process of becoming Americans in the right way. Yes, Dreamers may be the most sympathetic poster children for compassion, but they aren’t exempt from the Rule of Law. Republicans should put the dreams of American citizens first.

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

Christianity Is Alive and Well in America37 — Yet we’ve heard over and over again that the fall of Christianity in America is just a matter of time.Vetting Obama a Decade Too Late38 — A hidden picture of Obama meeting Nation of Islam’s Louis Farrakhan in 2005 comes to light.Trump’s Conservative Policy Achievements by the Numbers39 — Believe it or not, Trump is beating Reagan when it comes to enacting The Heritage Foundation’s policy ideas.Democrats Have a Tom Steyer Problem40 — His anti-Trump impeachment campaign, while popular with the base, only pushes the party farther to the extremes.

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

Rich Lowry: Durbin-Graham Is the Problem, Not the Solution41Hans von Spakovsky: UVA Betrays the Legacy of Its Founder, Thomas Jefferson42David Limbaugh: Hollywood’s Secular Clerics43Marvin J. Folkertsma: Carol Burnett and the Ferguson Effect44Rebecca Hagelin: Working to End Black Genocide45For more of today’s columns, visit Right Opinion46.

OPINION IN BRIEF

Rich Lowry: “The basic, problematic physics of immigration deal-making remains unchanged: Illegal immigrants receive some sort of legal status immediately, while any new enforcement, whether a wall or other systems (say, E-Verify for employers), inevitably phases in over time. Immigration hawks are rightfully mindful of this disparity given the long history of broken promises on enforcement. The worry is especially stark with Trump’s wall. It would be a massive government infrastructure project, with all the potential for delays and cost overruns that implies. This is why the shrewd play for the Democrats is to complain and resist, and then at the end make a theatrical concession on the wall. Schumer did exactly this prior to the government shutdown. For Trump’s part, the opposite is true. He’d be smart to insist on his wall above all else, and then at the end, reluctantly accept other priorities. The wall won’t be a game-changer at the border, where security has already become more robust; in fact, absent more resources for immigration authorities and tightened rules around asylum and the influx of migrants arriving from Central America, it might not make much difference. That’s why Trump should focus on getting those changes, as well as an end of the visa lottery and a curtailment of chain migration. These would represent the first real tightening of legal immigration in decades.”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “Many of those who attack capitalism know very well that their situation under any other economic system will be less favorable. Nevertheless, with full knowledge of this fact, they advocate a reform, e.g., socialism, because they hope that the rich, whom they envy, will also suffer under it.” —Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973)

Non Compos Mentis: “I have not seen the [FISA] memo, but I think it is sloppy, careless, and again, I think has no grounding in fact.” —Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA)

Says the man who funds the real dangers to the world: “I consider the Trump administration a danger to the world. But I regard it as a purely temporary phenomenon that will disappear in 2020, or even sooner.” —George Soros

Braying Jackass: “The NRA has us by the balls, so if we lose hundreds of innocent people to mass shootings every year, thats [sic] on them. Don’t go to school if you don’t want to get shot.” —Chelsea Handler, who, if we may say, does not have that particular anatomical feature

Alpha Jackass: “The president had been spending a notable amount of private time with Haley on Air Force One and was seen to be grooming her for a national political future.” —Michael Wolff in Fire and Fury (According to the Washington Examiner, “Wolff … recently told HBO’s host Bill Maher he was ‘absolutely sure’ Trump is having an affair and hinted to a part of the book where readers would know he was referencing the woman.”)

Warning signs: “I’ve said this point blank: If people like me can’t win from red states, you’ll be in the minority the rest of your life.” —Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)

And last… “You know a Republican is in the White House when Apple announces a commitment to the economy of $350B and 20,000 new jobs, North and South Korea are talking, the Dow closes above 26,000 for the first time … and the news media is focused like a laser on the president’s weight.” —Twitter satirist @hale_razor

Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families. We also humbly ask prayer for your Patriot team, that our mission would seed and encourage the spirit of Liberty in the hearts and minds of our countrymen.

Democrats aim to defeat peace and prosperity, keep berating tax cut bonuses.This just in: Trump did not fire Robert Mueller six months ago.Trump’s latest immigration proposal has something for everyone to hate.Christianity in America is doing better than you may realize.The Heritage Foundation has played a key role in Trump’s policies.Democrats have a Tom Steyer problem. And they like it.Plus our Daily Features: Top Headlines, Memes, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.

THE FOUNDATION

“Besides, to lay and collect internal taxes in this extensive country must require a great number of congressional ordinances, immediately operation upon the body of the people; these must continually interfere with the state laws and thereby produce disorder and general dissatisfaction till the one system of laws or the other, operating upon the same subjects, shall be abolished.” —Federal Farmer (1787)

IN BRIEF

Top Democrats: $1,000 Bonuses Are Chump Change1

By Nate Jackson

The Democrat slogan for 2018 truly is “Defeat peace and prosperity!” As our Louis DeBroux noted Wednesday2, “Democrat politicians and Leftmedia talkingheads repeatedly make utter fools of themselves” with their incessant and stubborn dismissal of the gains American workers are seeing because of tax reform. Apple, Walmart, Target, Disney, Starbucks, Verizon, AT&T, Home Depot and Fiat Chrysler are just a few of the 250 (and counting) companies3 that have increased wages and/or given bonuses to employees. Remember, the lower tax rates that made this possible were passed by Republicans without a single Democrat vote. Now, in a desperate attempt at election spin4, the Jackass Party is intent on living up to its mascot.

According to former DNC chief and current Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, these bonuses are chump change. “Frankly, if you look at the bonuses, which I haven’t heard of a corporate bonus more than $1,000 so far — which by the way is taxed, so it’s not $1,000,” Schultz said. “And then you spread $1,000 over the course of a year — to think of about how much that is — of course they get it all at once. But I’m not sure that $1,000 — which is taxed, taxable — goes very far for almost anyone.”

Well then.

Schultz is only taking cues from Nancy Pelosi, who warned of “Armageddon5” before tax reform was passed and dismissed it as “pathetic” “crumbs” afterward. Pelosi too doubled down, saying Thursday that workers are getting a “crumb” while corporate shareholders enjoy a “bonanza.” She explained, “Whatever they’re doing, it’s nice, it’s cute, [but] it’s not commensurate with what advantage they have in the tax bill, and it’s not fair to the American worker.” In fact, she insisted, “This tax cut for corporate America is theft.”

In other words, workers won’t benefit all that much but corporate “fat cats” will. A couple of things. Yes, Ms. Schultz, bonuses are taxable, but at the new, lower (Republican) rate. And “fat cats” like Schultz and Pelosi may not notice $1,000, but the rest of us workers will. Indeed, the pair and their party sang a far different tune6 when they temporarily cut the payroll tax by … $1,000 a year on average. Furthermore, tax cuts are not, as Democrats imply, a zero-sum game, nor is it in any way “theft7” to let people and businesses keep more of their money. And Schultz may not be aware, but some bonuses are $2,000 or $2,500. You know, “crumbs.”

By all means, though, Democrats should keep opposing peace and prosperity.

News Alert: Trump Did NOT Fire Mueller8

By Thomas Gallatin

The New York Times ran a supposed “blockbuster” story9 Thursday evening claiming that in June of last year — yes, that would be seven months ago — President Donald Trump sought to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller. According to the Times, Trump directed White House lawyer Don McGahn to dismiss Mueller over questions regarding his impartiality stemming from several potential conflicts of interest10. McGahn, however, disagreed and refused to follow Trump’s order, saying it would only make the Trump/Russia collusion narrative look worse. He instead, offered his own resignation. Trump then reportedly chose to back off.

The president, who is currently in Davos plugging11 his America First agenda, responded to the Times’ story saying it was “fake news, folks, fake news.”

So why is this story being breathlessly reported by much of the mainstream media as a “bombshell” revelation? First, let’s look at the facts. Mueller was not fired and has not been impeded in any way as he has gone about his investigation. The White House has not sought to prevent any administration officials or staff from being interviewed, as at least 20 have been questioned thus far. Trump himself has been consistent in saying that he is eager and willing to be interviewed by Mueller. And just last month when he was questioned about Mueller, Trump responded, “I think he’s going to be fair.”

Second, legally speaking, there appears to be little to no evidence of Trump having engaged in any actual obstruction of justice, much less any underlying crime of “collusion.” Questioning both publicly and privately the motivation behind the creation of the special counsel does not constitute any breach of law. In fact, with the hostile MSM and Democrats continuously running the dubious and thus far factually vacuous narrative of a Trump/Russia collusion conspiracy, one would think it strange if the president didn’t question the motivation of a special counsel. It does look to be more political witch hunt than criminal investigation.

Finally, this is really all about the Leftmedia working to create the public perception of Trump being guilty of obstruction, all aimed at propping up Democrats for the 2018 midterm election. On top of that, it boosts their sales and ad revenue. For the Leftmedia it’s a win-win — meanwhile, the American public is being fed more biased gossip disguised as legitimate journalism.

Top Headlines12

Fourth-quarter GDP growth of 2.6% falls short of Wall Street’s target, but that measurement was before tax reform (MarketWatch13)

FEATURED ANALYSISSomething For Everyone to Hate in Trump’s Immigration Proposal26

By Michael Swartz

If you’ve been paying attention to our coverage of the so-called “Dreamers,” you’ll recognize right away the following quote: “We have to send a clear message — just because your child gets across the border, that doesn’t mean your child gets to stay. We don’t want to send a message that is contrary to our laws.” At the time, Hillary Clinton was ramping up her campaign for president and this was her immigration “sell” to independent voters. Not that she really meant it. As our Mark Alexander explained27 earlier this week (after sharing this and other pro-enforcement quips from the Clintons), “Democrats are hell-bent on opening that Latino pipeline to their most promising future constituency.”

Just who are these euphemistically named future Democrats? They include all illegals who claim to have come to the U.S. before the age of 16, have lived here since June 2007, and were not older than 30 in 2012 when Barack Obama’s administration illegally granted them de facto amnesty.

In any case, they may well get some help from the unlikeliest of sources: Donald Trump. The president laid some of the groundwork Thursday for a grand bargain on immigration reform that features a way for 1.8 million illegals — more than twice the number of “Dreamers” because it includes those who were eligible but didn’t apply for DACA — to “morph into” citizenship28 over a period of 10 to 12 years. In return, Trump expects29 an (eventual) end to chain migration and the visa lottery, as well as $25 billion to build a border wall and another $5 billion for “other border security programs.”

The March for Life is a movement born out of love. You love your families, you love your neighbors, you love our nation, and you love every child, born and unborn, because you believe that every life is sacred, that every child is a precious gift from God. … We are protecting the sanctity of life and the family as the foundation of our society.

President Trump has proven himself to be a staunch pro-life ally26. He expanded the Mexico City Policy, which prevents $9 billion in foreign aid from funding the worldwide abortion industry. He stopped taxpayer funding for the UN Population Fund, which supports China’s forced abortion and sterilization program. He nominated Neil Gorsuch27 to the Supreme Court. He signed H.J. Res. 43 into law, which overturned a Barack Obama-era regulation prohibiting states from defunding certain abortion clinics in the federally funded family planning programs.

He has stated strong support for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would ban abortion after 20 weeks. The United States stands as one of only seven countries (which include China and North Korea) allowing abortions after 20 weeks’ gestation. Research reveals that unborn babies feel pain at 20 weeks, to the extent that babies at that age routinely receive anesthesia for in utero surgeries. Additionally, 63% of Americans support a ban on abortion after 20 weeks — in other words, it’s hardly an “extreme” position.

Rather than celebrating the anniversary of Roe v. Wade as a day of “liberation,” President Trump recognizes the true issue at stake in the infamous Supreme Court decision: human dignity28. He proclaimed Jan. 22, 2018, the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, as “National Sanctity of Human Life Day.” His proclamation29 reads:

This is why we observe National Sanctity of Human Life Day: to affirm the truth that all life is sacred, that every person has inherent dignity and worth, and that no class of people should ever be discarded as “non-human.”

Under his leadership, Health and Human Services (HHS) is protecting conscience freedoms compromised and even attacked under the previous administration. This month, HHS established30 a new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within the HHS Office of Civil Rights. It will restore federal law enforcement of U.S. laws protecting conscious and religious freedom rights. OCR Director Roger Severino states, “No one should be forced to choose between helping sick people and living by one’s deepest moral or religious convictions, and the new division will help guarantee that victims of unlawful discrimination find justice.”

Additionally, Acting HHS Secretary Eric Hargan stated, “President Trump promised the American people that his administration would vigorously uphold the rights of conscience and religious freedom. That promise is being kept today.”

President Trump also announced Jan. 16, 2018, as Religious Freedom Day. In his proclamation31, President Trump stated, “Our forefathers, seeking refuge from religious persecution, believed in the eternal truth that freedom is not a gift from the government, but a sacred right from Almighty God.”

He further connected religious freedom to human dignity, stating, “The free exercise of religion is a source of personal and national stability, and its preservation is essential to protecting human dignity.”

In 2016, Christian conservatives took a chance on Donald Trump to champion their values of life and religious liberty. Today, it is clear he has delivered.

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

A De Facto Federal Government-Illegal Alien Alliance36 — Between known Social Security fraud and E-Verify laxness, it’s no wonder we have a major problem.Americans Want More Government?37 — New polling indicates that a growing majority of Americans see a more active government as a good thing.NYC Pursues Opioid Suit Despite ObamaCare’s Assist38 — Leftists are more interested in the money they can extract from frivolous lawsuits than they are in solving problems.

Nina Rees19: “This week is National School Choice Week, a time to celebrate the importance of giving parents the freedom to select a school that meets their child’s needs. A new poll from the American Federation for Children shows that school choice is highly prized by parents and voters. Fully 63 percent of likely voters support school choice, including a majority of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Support for public charter schools is even higher, at 72 percent. … While President Bill Clinton provided early and essential support to charter schools, it was during the Bush and Obama administrations that growth really took off – from about 2,300 schools serving 600,000 students in 2001 to 6,800 schools serving more 3.1 million students last year. In more than 200 school districts across America, at least 10 percent of public school students are enrolled in charter schools. And in some cities, the share is much larger – more than 90 percent in New Orleans, around 50 percent in Washington, D.C., and about one-third in Indianapolis and Newark, N.J. … We hope the administration will continue to show a real commitment to choice by fighting for more funds for the federal Charter Schools Program. The CSP has amply demonstrated its effectiveness in making high-quality options available to the majority of parents who want to be able to choose their child’s school.”

SHORT CUTS

For the record: “Donald Trump speaks to Africans frankly. Africans need to solve their problems. You can’t survive if you are weak. It is the Africans’ fault that they are weak.” —Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni

Observations: “America has always been divided. But the divide is typically policy based. The Left and the Right will either love or hate a president based on his beliefs and his ideas for how government should be run. With President Trump, the chasm is almost solely based on whether or not you like Trump as a human being. That’s new.” —Suzanne Venker

Food for thought: “The biggest driver of illegal immigration isn’t on the supply side; it’s on the demand side. Immigrants, legal and illegal, come to America primarily to work. They stay because their employers, many of them Republicans, don’t care or don’t ask about immigration status. Democratic politicians, particularly in sanctuary cities, want to keep it that way. The wall, in theory, would stop illegal border crossings from Mexico, but it wouldn’t do anything about people who come here legally and then simply overstay their visas — about 42 percent of immigrants in the country illegally. … If Trump wanted a clear — and immediate — win on illegal immigration, he’d evolve and recognize that the wall’s greatest utility might be as a bargaining chip.” —Jonah Goldberg

Blame-thrower: “This is what happens when the president of the United States, Donald Trump, repeatedly attacks members of the press simply for reporting facts he does not like.” —CNN’s Don Lemon blaming Trump for the guy who threatened to shoot people at CNN over fake news

The Deep State: “[John] Kerry asked [a Palestinian Authority official] to convey a message to [Mahmoud] Abbas and ask him to ‘hold on and be strong.’ Tell him, he told [the official], ‘that he should stay strong in his spirit and play for time, that he will not break and will not yield to President [Donald] Trump’s demands.’” —The Jerusalem Post

And last… “Government shutting down — partially — is not a disaster. The real disaster is paying $4 trillion a year to keep it running and getting such poor service in return.” —John Stossel

Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families. We also humbly ask prayer for your Patriot team, that our mission would seed and encourage the spirit of Liberty in the hearts and minds of our countrymen.

Feinstein changes her tune on releasing material related to Russia.Trump heads to Davos with his “America First” message.Conservative Christians took a chance on Trump, and he’s delivered.Social Security fraud and E-Verify’s limited scope hamper immigration reform.Do Americans really want more government after all we’ve seen it do wrong?NYC pursues opioid suit all while ignoring ObamaCare’s role.Plus our Daily Features: Top Headlines, Memes, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.

THE FOUNDATION

“It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth — and listen to the song of that syren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those, who having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?” —Patrick Henry (1775)

IN BRIEF

Feinstein Blames the Russians1

By Thomas Gallatin

In a desperate attempt to prevent the public release of a classified FISA memo2 that purports to show the FBI abused the surveillance program for political aims, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) sent a letter3 to the execs at Twitter and Facebook calling for them to investigate a supposed Russian social media effort pushing for the memo’s release. The letter states in part, “We are witnessing an ongoing attack by the Russian government through Kremlin-linked social media actors directly acting to intervene and influence our democratic process. This should be disconcerting to all Americans, but especially your companies as, once again, it appears the vast majority of their efforts are concentrated on your platforms. This latest example of Russian interference is in keeping with Moscow’s concerted, covert, and continued campaign to manipulate American public opinion and erode trust in our law enforcement and intelligence institutions.”

In other words, Feinstein has just declared that anyone who believes the FISA memo — a memo several Republican members of Congress describe as “alarming” and “disturbing” — should be released is essentially a puppet of Vladimir Putin, and that is quite simply asinine.

First off, the Russians didn’t start the #ReleaseTheMemo campaign; it was Republicans who first called for the release of this memo, written by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes. Secondly, was it not Feinstein who mere weeks ago unilaterally released4 the entire closed-door testimony of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson’s testimony regarding the dubious Trump dossier? At the time, Feinstein argued that the American public had a right to know: “The American people deserve the opportunity to see what [Glenn Simpson] said and judge for themselves.” She further explained her rationale, asserting, “The innuendo and misinformation circulating about the transcript are part of a deeply troubling effort to undermine the investigation into potential collusion and obstruction of justice. The only way to set the record straight is to make the transcript public.” But now she’s singing a different tune.

Using Feinstein’s logic, there currently is a lot of “innuendo” and probably “misinformation” flying around regarding exactly what the content of the FISA memo alleges. Why not release it to the public to “set the record straight”? Clearly, Feinstein is engaging in political gamesmanship. When releasing the information plays well for her agenda, she pulls the “American people have a right to know” card, but when the information could prove damaging to her agenda, then the narrative is one of needing to “protect” the American people and its institutions from the Russians.

A free society must have a government committed to transparency in order to hold to account those who have been entrusted by citizens with the power to lead. Hiding potential corruption from the American public will cause greater distrust of government institutions and agencies than revealing the truth, no matter how ugly it may be. Therefore we in our humble shop unequivocally call for the public release of the FISA memo.

‘America First’ Visits Europe5

By Nate Jackson

President Donald Trump is a dealmaker; don’t forget that in any major policy story. That includes his trip to Europe this week for the dreaded globalist World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He’s the first U.S. president to attend in nearly 20 years. “Will soon be heading to Davos, Switzerland, to tell the world how great America is and is doing,” Trump tweeted before his trip. “Our economy is now booming and with all I am doing, will only get better…Our country is finally WINNING again!” That, like so many other things Trump says and does, was a shot across the bow to Europe that the U.S. is under new management. Long gone are the Barack Obama days of apologizing for America and weakening our bargaining position.

Trump also aims to convey that, thanks to his successful economic policies6, America is once again open for business and indeed will lead the world in that regard. Long gone are the stagnation years of Obamanomics.

Leftmedia outlets opine that “America First” will be a “hard sell in Davos7.” Of course it is. European globalists (and their media mouthpieces, by the way) are much happier working with someone like Obama, who views America not as a world leader but as a nation guilty of imperialism and the like. Leaders like Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron wasted no time mischaracterizing Trump’s approach as “isolationist” and “nativist.”

On the contrary. “This is about an America First agenda. But America First does mean working with the rest of the world,” said Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. “It just means that President Trump is looking out for American workers and American interests no different than he expects other leaders would look out for their own.” Gary Cohn, the head of Trump’s National Economic Council, echoed that talking point: “America First is not America alone.”

George Soros spent record amount lobbying during Trump’s first year (The Washington Free Beacon18.)

Policy: To celebrate school choice, expand federal support for charter schools (Washington Examiner19)

Policy: High-tax states should lower their taxes instead of trying to evade federal taxes (The Daily Signal20)

For more of today’s news, visit Patriot Headline Report21.

FEATURED ANALYSISTrump Delivers on Values Promises22

By Caroline Camden Lewis

George Barna’s recent book, The Day Christians Changed America, notes how Christian conservatives united in the 2016 election to preserve America’s past and secure her future. As the only one standing at the end the primary season, Donald Trump seemed an unlikely choice for a Republican presidential candidate. Though brash and unconventional, he also stood for the values important to Christian conservatives: the right to life and religious freedom. In the general election, Christian “Values Voters” saw a clear choice: someone who had the potential to stand for their values, and someone who absolutely opposed them. They chose to give Trump a chance.

Now, a little over a year later, President Trump continues to break convention, speak his mind and stand up for polices that conservative Christians value. Last week, Trump became the first president in history to address23 the crowds at the March for Life, the pro-life march that began after the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. His address, which took place in the Rose Garden24, was broadcast via satellite to the crowds on the national mall. In his address, President Trump stated25:

And CNN political analyst Matt Viser angrily complained, “Democrats have managed to accede to Republican demands, demoralize their energized base, give a disengaged president a win, and look like they held a meaningless three day government shutdown — all at once.”

The Nation’s George Zornick: “If this was always Senate Democrats’ exit strategy — cave in exchange for nothing — they should have just provided the 8 votes on Friday.”

And Politico17 headlined, “Democrats Get Rolled In Shutdown Standoff,” and noted, “Democrats lost the shutdown war. That much was obvious when they voted to re-open the government with little to show for it. They had vowed for weeks not to back any funding bill without a bipartisan agreement to protect so-called Dreamers. But … Democrats folded.”

Politico’s congressional reporter Rachael Bade complained, “Democrats got nothing in this. Can someone please remind me why this happened to begin with? Wasn’t it about a DACA deal? There is no DACA deal.”

Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which funds the campaigns of “bold progressives” from the “Elizabeth Warren wing of the Democratic Party,” slammed Democrats: “Today’s cave by Senate Democrats — led by weak-kneed, right-of-center Democrats — is why people don’t believe the Democratic Party stands for anything. These weak Democrats hurt the party brand for everyone and make it harder to elect Democrats everywhere in 2018.”

The uber-leftist MoveOn.org18 called it a “Terrible Shutdown Deal,” noting, “This is a bad, outrageous deal. Trump and Republicans in Congress stood with their anti-immigrant nativist base, and too many Democrats backed down … and failed to fight for their values.” (It’s always laughable when leftists lecture about “values.”)

It was a bad day for Chuck Schumer and his Democrats. How bad? So bad that MSNBC’s case study in Trump Derangement Syndrome, Joy Reid, declared, “There is nothing so predictable as media spin in favor of Republicans.”

Yes, she really did.

According to the final tally by National Review’s Deroy Murdock19, “97 percent of House Democrats and 92 percent of Senate Democrats voted to close the federal government, stop paying American troops, block money to the U.S. Border Patrol, and deny medical care to some 9 million children (yes, the children!) enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The House Republicans’ wide majority overwhelmed Democrats’ votes. But Senate Republicans’ wafer-thin majority, and the 60-vote approval threshold, empowered Democrats to sandbag this measure and — as they desired — shut down the federal government.”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) summed it up: “What we learned is that the American people don’t want to have the government shut down for illegal immigration. … That’s significantly strengthened our hand going into these immigration negotiations to have a responsible bill for the DACA population while also controlling for those side effects, building a wall, securing our border and ending chain migration. The Democrats badly overplayed their hand here.”

The conservative House Republican Study Committee (formerly headed by Vice President Mike Pence) has endorsed the “Securing America’s Future Act20,” and is calling on Speaker Paul Ryan for a floor vote on the measure. The legislation is authored by Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Mike McCaul (R-TX), Raul Labrador (R-ID) and Martha McSally (R-AZ), and it adds requirements to those proposed by Trump, including mandatory E-Verify, sanctions against sanctuary cities, safer asylum requirements and cuts to the current legal immigration numbers. While the House proposal will require some modifications to obtain the requisite 218 votes, it’s a good start.

Despite what seems like a resounding Democrat defeat, Republicans had better get ready for the rebound. The Demo DACA retreat is only temporary. Democrats miscalculated public support for another government shutdown, as they did their ability to shift blame to Republicans, but they’re now calculating a comeback.

Not 24 hours after conceding, Schumer is now trying to recover by playing hardball. According to Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Schumer has now withdrawn an offer to appropriate billions for the southern border wall. The number two (pun intended) Democrat in the Senate, Dick Durbin (D-IL), confirmed that Schumer “called the White House yesterday and said it’s over.”

It’s over until it’s not!

Trump responded, “Schumer fully understands, especially after his humiliating defeat, that if there is no Wall, there is no DACA.”

Moving forward, expect Democrat leaders to convert the anger generated by their DACA retreat into a unified protest front ahead of President Trump’s State of the Union next week — in part to divert attention from his administration’s exceptional first-year record21.

We hope, for his part, Trump will keep reminding Democrats and American citizens that the net cost of illegal aliens to taxpayers is more than $116 billion22 annually, much of that for “free” health care, while American veterans wait in line for basic health services.

He should also note that public opinion about the so-called DREAMers23 has been shamelessly romanticized24 by the Democrats and their Leftmedia outlets.

While the cost to American taxpayers is high, and the cost to American victims of violent crime committed by illegal aliens is incalculable, the real issue is whether we are a nation defined by laws and borders or a nation defined by Democrat political agendas.

Averting the Trump administration’s plans for comprehensive immigration reform25 will be a key component of the Democrats’ 2018 midterm election strategy26 to recover control of the Senate and build their Latino constituency.

Bottom line: In order to retake Congress this year, Democrats are going to have to campaign for the “rights” of illegal aliens over those of American citizens, while campaigning against “peace and prosperity.”

“Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one.” —James Madison (1791)

Last week, in a comprehensive analysis of the Demos’ DACA deceit1 regarding illegal immigration, I provided clear evidence of their pandering political duplicity — in their own words.

For example, during Barack Obama’s2 tenure, recall the strong condemnation of illegal immigrants by then-Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chairman Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who declared3: “People who enter the U.S. without our permission are illegal aliens, and illegal aliens should not be treated the same as people who enter the U.S. legally. … When we use phrases like ‘undocumented workers,’ we convey to the American people that their government is not serious about combatting illegal immigration. … I think it is illegal and wrong.”

In 2013, when Republicans were holding up government funding over Obama’s so-called “Affordable Care Act4,” Schumer declared, “No matter how strongly one feels about an issue, you shouldn’t hold millions of people hostage.”

How about in the last presidential campaign? Then-candidate Hillary Clinton5 had this to say about DACA: “We have to send a clear message — just because your child gets across the border, that doesn’t mean your child gets to stay. We don’t want to send a message that is contrary to our laws.”

Right.

So what changed?

A few years ago, when the Democrats were still feigning concern for their blue-collar and union worker constituencies, whose jobs and wages have been deflated by unchecked illegal immigration, they talked tough about illegal aliens. But their proposals were all smoke and mirrors. They routinely made fake political plays for Latino and Hispanic voters6 while pursuing policies that protected their traditional constituencies.

Now, however, as its lower- and middle-income voter blocs are hemorrhaging, the Democrat Party7 is turning its back on those traditionally supportive groups and opening a socialist voter pipeline to flood America with its most promising future constituency — Latinos. And labor union fat cats, whose member rolls have also been hemorrhaging, see these largely unskilled and low-wage immigrants as their future dues payers.

As clear evidence of that disingenuous shift, former Hillary Clinton campaign aide Jennifer Palmieri let the truth slip out earlier this month when she warned in a memo that the Democrats’ fight for DACA “is also a critical component of the Democratic Party’s future electoral success8.”

It’s almost as if Democrats believe their constituents are clueless as to what their dear leaders are saying. And, sadly, that’s a pretty fair and accurate description.

So what would be the best way to disable the Trump administration’s immigration agenda to ensure the Democrats’ “future electoral success”? Why, a government shutdown over DACA9, of course, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck “The Negotiator” Schumer!

Schumer believed that Democrats could successfully blame a shutdown on Donald Trump10 and the Republicans.

But that calculation was wrong, and Republicans hung the shutdown like a noose around Schumer’s neck as Trump wisely stayed on the sidelines.

By midday Monday, Schumer was in full retreat11, claiming, “After several discussions, offers, counter-offers, the Republican leader and I have come to an arrangement … to reopen the government, to continue negotiating a global agreement, with the commitment that, if an agreement isn’t reached by February 8, the Senate will immediately proceed to consideration of legislation dealing with DACA.”

Democrats voted to support the GOP’s temporary funding resolution through February 8th, the next opportunity for a Schumer shutdown. Notably, last week House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) declared, “The GOP short-term resolution is like giving you a bowl of doggie doo, put a cherry on top, call it a chocolate sundae.” (Too easy to parody that remark.)

Of the temporary reprieve, Trump responded, “As I have always said, once the government is funded my administration will work toward solving the problem of very unfair illegal immigration. We will make a long-term deal on immigration if, and only if, it is good for our country.”

However, the Left’s response to the Democrats12 was swift and brutal — and even the Democrats’ most entrenched MSM propagandists13 conceded this was a humiliating defeat.

The Washington Post14 lamented, “Democrats Lost Their Nerve In The Shutdown Battle,” noting, “What’s clear is that on the very first day of the shutdown on which the federal government was actually supposed to be open, Democrats pretty quickly took a deal that was well shy of what they were demanding.”

WaPo’s congressional reporter Erica Werner said in disgust, “We now await Democrats’ spin about how this isn’t a cave.”

The Associated Press15 led with “Shutdown deal puts spotlight on Dem leader,” noting, “For two days, Schumer … succeeded in keeping his party unified. But as the shutdown moved into its third day, the New York Democrat and his party buckled as several Democrats backed a deal to end the shutdown.”

And there was more condemnation to follow!

According to a New York Times headline16, “Democrats Blink In Shutdown Impasse.”